This invention relates to a card type recording medium applicable to various types of card type recording media including a prepaid card, an identification card, a bank card etc. and, more particularly, to a card type recording medium of a type in which desired information is recorded thereon by breaking blocks arranged on the card block by block. The invention further relates to a method of preventing a false use of such card type recording medium by counterfeiting of a card or false restoration of a broken block on a card.
Known in the art are various methods and apparatuses for detecting a surface design pattern of a bank note, bill, bond or the like in an optical way. Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-23828, for example, discloses optical validation of a bank note or the like by utilizing difference in absorption (or transmittance) to a visible ray and infrared ray between a magnetic ink and a color ink. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 51-84695 discloses also an optical type validation apparatus for a bank note or the like based on a similar principle.
Known also in the art is a technique of utilizing an invisible light such as infrared ray for reading of information or card identification in a card type recording medium such as a prepaid card. Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-4756, for example, discloses a technique according to which, in a case where proper data such as the name of the owner is recorded by punching in an ID card or a credit card, false holes are formed with true data holes in the card, these holes are filled with a pattern representing desired proper data by using an infrared ray transmitting element and an infrared ray non-transmitting element, and the proper data is read by irradiating infrared ray. The Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-13341 discloses a technique according to which a bar code pattern is printed with ink which reacts to invisible light, which bar code pattern cannot be recognized in appearance by visible light. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 52-45279 discloses putting a signature on a collation card used for depositing of money in a bank or the like purpose is made with an invisible light ink. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 64-87395 discloses providing an infrared ray reacting pattern on a magnetic recording layer of a card type recording medium for discriminating a true card from a false one. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58-171995 discloses printing a bar code pattern with ink which reacts to infrared ray on a bar code recorded pari-mutuel ticket so as to prevent recognition of the pattern by visible light in appearance. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 61-136188 discloses a technique according to which a magnetic card includes an invisible light identifying recording section in addition to a magnetic recording section, and data concerning variable and security data are recorded in the magnetic recording section whereas data proper to the card is recorded in the invisible light identifying recording section.
In a card type recording medium such as a prepaid card, it has been known also to perform punching in a predetermined region in the card in accordance with the used amount thereby to visibly display the used amount i.e., the remaining amount available for future use, of the card. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 63-263602, for example, discloses provision of a punched recording section in addition to a magnetic recording section in a magnetic card such as a prepaid card an recording of the state of use by punching as well as by magnetic recording. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 62-203290 discloses forming a punched recording section with a magnetic recording medium in a prepaid card and coping with a false alteration such as closing holes punched in the card with a tape or the like by detecting holes not optically but magnetically. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 64-21695 discloses a technique according to which a punched recording section is formed with a magnetic recording medium in a prepaid card, information concerning use of the card is previously recorded magnetically and the used amount, i.e., the remaining amount for use, can be visually confirmed and magnetically read by breaking of blocks of the magnetic recording medium. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. 64-17774 discloses forming a punched recording section with a fluorescent material.
As to the card type recording media in which information is recorded by breaking means such as punching among the above described prior art card type recording media, possibility of a false use of the card by falsely altering information contained in the card by filling holes punched in the card with a tape or coating has become a serious problem. For coping with this problem of false use of the card, the above described Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. 64-17774 discloses forming the punched recording section with a fluorescent material. This technique however still has the problem that a false use cannot be detected when the false user has filled holes punched in the card with a fluorescent coating of the same quality. The same problem remains unsettled with respect to the other prior art techniques utilizing invisible light such as infrared ray for reading of proper information in the card type recording medium.
Further, the prior art cards in which information is recorded by breaking means such as punching, only one type of information relying on presence or absence of a hole punched in the card can be recorded and, therefore, the amount of recordable information is limited. Besides, guard against counterfeiting of the card per se is insufficient.